Mechanically Inspired, Domestically Designed Jeremy Randall

Appears in the Jan/Feb 2022 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated.

I’ve enjoyed finding ways to take clay forms from the table and allow them to spend some time in other spaces, such as on the wall. Serving trays, platters, and other forms can start to take on painterly and sculptural qualities when hung, enabling the interactions we have with them to be quite different than when they are on the table and involved with food and service.

I came across a metal riveted basket form in an antique store awhile back, probably something that had once been used as a protective cover, and fell in love with its simplicity. My mother was a basket maker, so woven forms were common in my life, but this piece was much more simple and straightforward. Because it was riveted, it was just an overlapping arrangement of flat metal strips, and I instantly thought of clay being arranged in a similar way. I quickly realized that one of the most important parts of these forms was the openness of the weave, making these non-functional in the traditional sense, but really activating light and space. When they began to work their way onto the wall, the shadows they created were great. 

Choosing the Form and Mold

As a slab builder, I am usually very aware of the qualities of my slabs, such as thickness and edge. When beginning to explore these basket forms, I wanted to play with shapes that were structural, but also soft. A cut slab strip ended up being too flat and sharp for my liking, so I looked at some extruder-die profiles and settled on an oval/almond-type shape (1). This would allow for good surface attachment, as well as a nice eased edge that would look soft in the finished object.

Knowing that these platter/basket forms were going to be fragile and difficult to move around in the greenware stage, I decided to work on them inside of a slump mold (2), rather than on a convex mold. This alleviated the need for flipping the basket off of a mold, instead letting it dry while still in the form/mold and using the dry stiffness of the clay to enable me to move it later. 

Extruding and Placing Coils

Begin by extruding the oval coils in a batch (3) and set them next to the mold. Starting in the middle of the mold form, arrange the coils in parallel from the center out (4), with the shortest coils being reserved for the outer edges. After turning the mold 45°, extrude another batch and set them next to the mold. I want the coils to be arranged a similar distance apart from each other, so I use a ruler to space them out, then use it to mark the spacing for the perpendicular coils. (5). Score and wet the attachment areas of the coils on the mold (6), then put the perpendicular coil back in place. Because the clay is fresh and soft, you only need to score one side. Subsequent attachments will secure the coils in place. Continuing this process for the remaining coils results in a second layer running perpendicular to the first, making a sort of checkerboard pattern of overlapping coils (7). Rolling a pony roller over all of the joints compresses and reinforces the attachments (8). Cut the coils to the edge of the mold, but do so loosely to achieve the rough look.

Adding Reinforcements

Once the coils are secure, place steel tacks (9) at each joint to create the rivet (10, 11). These particular tacks are steel hobnails, originally used on the soles of boots in the winter to give traction on the ice. They have a really pronounced cone-shaped head and show up really well after firing. I am only firing to cone 02, so the steel will remain intact post firing with no problems. Caution: Before firing any non-clay materials, test to make sure that their maximum firing temperature is compatible with your clay. 

Once these steps are complete, leave the piece in the mold to dry before bisque firing. Once it is bone dry, slide the piece out of the mold and carefully lower it into the kiln. 

Achieving a Desired Surface

Once the piece has been bisque fired to 1800°F (982°C), remove it from the kiln and prep it for slip application by cleaning off any dust. Normally I use terra sigillata on my work as a finished surface, but because of the fragility of these pieces, burnishing isn’t really an option. Place a large wash pan on a table, then pour a plain white slip (suitable for applying to bisqueware) over the surface of the piece (12). This bisque slip has the consistency of heavy cream, so where it is a bit thinner, some of the red earthenware will show through. After applying the slip, allow it to dry thoroughly before adding wash layers. 

For this piece, I am using black copper oxide as a wash, and due to its toxicity, I take some extra precautions to keep the oxide from getting into the studio environment. Place a wash pan in one side of your sink and put a few inches of water in it. This will be your workspace. Place the jar of oxide and water in another pan in the second side of the sink. Hang a large plastic trash bag behind where you are working to keep any overspray from getting on your studio wall and sink.

Apply the oxide to the surface with a brush, adding extra in places for variation, while leaving some areas with a lighter application (13). Using a spray bottle filled with water, wet the surface to remove some of the oxide (14). The excess runs off into the pan of water below. This allows for the leftover oxide material to be reclaimed, while preventing it from drying and becoming airborne. Once the surface looks good, the process is complete. Tip: To achieve more contrast with the oxide that settles in the textures and crevices, bisque fire the piece a second time after applying the slip, and then apply the washes. This can be done multiple times, creating layers of slip and wash to achieve the desired surface. 

One of the beautiful things about electric firing is that you can put the piece back into the kiln a few times to fire on materials without harm (15), fixing certain layers onto the surface so that more can be applied, making the surface rich and varied. Explore, go nuts, and have fun. These are great ways to achieve a non-glazed surface for sculptural and non-food surfaces.

Jeremy Randall earned his BFA from Syracuse University and his MFA in ceramics from the University of Florida. He currently lives in Tully, New York, where he owns and operates Rusty Wheel Pottery (www.rustywheelpottery.com), a making and learning studio clay space focused on community education in clay.